Industry News

Half of Brits would go solar if they had the money

Half of Brits think they would go solar if they had the money, but 61% unaware of government funding, according to a YouGov survey, commissioned by Rexel, a distributor of energy products and services.

81% of UK adults are concerned about rising energy bills, with nearly half saying they’d like to use rooftop solar as a way to mitigate them.

49% of those who don’t already have solar panels say they think they would install them if they had the money to do so, or had financial support.

Cost remains the main barrier, with 38% of people put off by the upfront investment.

Although the Government offers incentives to generate your own electricity with solar panels, known as the feed-in tariffs, 61% of Brits don’t know what these are.

Respondents showed great enthusiasm for solar with 83% expecting it to play a part in the UK’s future energy mix, and 32% saying it will play a major part in meeting the UK’s energy needs.

12% of Brits say they are, or are likely to start, investigating installing solar panels as a way to mitigate energy price rises. The latest figures from DECC support this, showing that over 2,000 UK homes per week are now installing solar panels.[1]

However the research showed a significant number worried about even investigating solar. 30% weren’t sure they could trust solar sales people and 18% worried about finding a reliable installer.

A third of people who don’t have solar panels would be more likely to install them if there was a guarantee they would pay for themselves within eight to ten years. This rose to 42% for guaranteed energy generation.

“There is clearly a healthy appetite for on-roof solar energy in the UK but too few people know about the financial incentives and support available,”says Brian Smithers, Strategic Development Director, Rexel.

“Rexel’s own Energeasy Solar platform allows you to calculate your energy generation and likely income, and identify reputable installers. We even compensate people if the generation falls below 90% of what is promised.

“Solar is not suitable for everyone, but if you don’t have the information, you can’t make that decision.”